Every year around this time I find myself posting the same things as the year before. If you’ve been around this blog long enough, you’ve probably noticed as much. But believe me, there’s a method to my madness. The reason I do this is because I think there’s so much importance in both reflection and resolution.
In reflecting on the year past, as I did in posting my favourite travel photos from 2013 and I’ll do in this post, you get a sense of where you’ve been and how far you’ve come. Living your own life, it’s easy not to see the progress and change. It’s kind of like growing up. As you age, you never really see the change. However, if you’ve ever not seen a family member in a couple months, you might see them and think “wow, they’ve grown/changed so much.” Growth is a transition that you can’t see without reflection. Reflecting on the year’s events really does remind you how long ago one year was.
In resolution, we can look back on our reflections and see the things we need to fix, adjust, or add to our lives. New Year’s resolutions, as cliche as they may be, offer the perfect opportunity to force yourself to create goals. Furthermore, when it comes to any goal-making, I feel it so important to post these things in a public place so you can be kept accountable for them. Then, in a year’s time go back to that place and re-visit your resolutions and find out what you made good on and what you didn’t.
This post, is that public place for me. I’ve been doing this for years, and I love how effective it’s been. So I’m going to let it roll for another year. First things first, let’s evaluate last year’s New Year’s resolutions.
Reflection on 2013 New Year’s Resolutions
- Speak the Local Language More: I’d say this was a success, but it was also a bit of failure. In Africa, I spoke all the colonial languages, so speaking with the locals was easy. If I was in a country long enough I would learn the slang, and please and thank yous in some of the tribal tongues as well. This year again, it’s something I have to build on.
- Work out at least 3 Times a Week: HA! Not even close. It’s been hard, and I think nearly starving to death in Africa made things worse. I’ve gotten a bit fat, and this will likely be on the docket again this year.
- Contact Relatives more Often: I was better, much better than in the past. I sent postcards to family members and was really good at emailing people. Even in the depths of Central Africa I managed. I am proud of the progress I made here and I will continue building on this.
- Make it to Cape Town: I did it. I f**cking did it!
- Meet my Niece and Nephew: I did, and they were maybe the cutest people I’ve ever met in my life. If you don’t believe in love at first sight, you’ve never met new family members in the flesh and blood. I’m so proud to be an uncle to these beautiful kids.
- Find a Home for Vagabundo Magazine: I think the thing I found for Vagabundo is that our home is on the road. We need to be smarter about where we go, since we need the internet, but I’ve definitely started carving out a groove. What’s even better is that the Vagabundo crew is almost starting to meld into a family which is awesome and an added bonus.
- Take Fewer Pictures: I did very well on this one. I worried much less about taking pictures this year, and spent more time enjoying the moment and immersing myself in travel. Actually, I think I could have taken the camera out more this year. However, it was much better than the year before where I was shooting photos constantly.
Conclusions on 2013?
Really, the only thing I failed at was working out. It was hard to do in Africa, but that is an excuse. All I need to do is fall to the ground and do some push-ups or sit-ups, but I always seem to make excuses. This year, I will make an effort to change that.
All-in-all, I’m very happy with the progress I made through my New Year’s resolutions. I look back and see how I’ve improved at many things I would have liked, and I really did grow a lot.
My 2014 New Year’s Resolutions
- Get fit Again: This is really the only carry-over from last year. People always say that as soon as you hit 30 the fat starts to stick on. Well, it happened to me at 29. However, considering I have done nearly no physical activity in a year, I’m not doing so bad. I’m going to try and do a little bit of exercise every day this year, even if that just means a set of 50 push-ups.
- Eat more Street Food: So far in Indonesia I’ve been good at this. However, last year in Africa I spent far too many meals sitting in French restaurants when I could have been out on the street with the locals. And honestly, it doesn’t have anything to do with the food. Eating at street stalls gives you a good chance for interaction with local people, as I’ve found out almost every evening here in Bali.
- Be a Better Brother: Of all my family members, the relationship that comes most naturally is that with my brother. Though we are so different in so many way, we have similar personalities and click. That might not seem like a problem, but when you have a strong natural relationship with someone, you often forget to nurture that one. This year, I’ll try to be a better brother.
- Be a Better Uncle: The hardest thing about travelling is not getting to see my niece and nephew grow up in person. It’s hard being an uncle from afar, and hopefully I don’t miss the chance to watch them grow into slightly bigger people. I’d like to think I was an OK uncle last year, but this year I want to do as much as I can to make sure I’m a positive influence on them.
- Get Deeper into the Culture: I’ve always had a hard time getting into the local cultures for some reason. I’m completely game to play along, but I think I fall into the trap too often of hooking on with other travellers rather than locals. This year, I really want to make a deeper connection with the cultures of the places I go.
- Waste Less / Consume Less: Being in Bali has been an eye-opener. This week, Kuta beach has looked like a trash dump. The beach itself has garbage on it, but the sea is saturated with chip bags, plastic, and cups. Now, it’s easy to say “this is disgusting” and move on to somewhere cleaner. It takes a stronger person to realize that you’re a part of the problem and realize how much of that garbage you are creating yourself. This year, I really hope to create less waste and consume less.
- Re-Visit Old Destinations: I’ve always followed the adage of “new is always better“, however I’m starting to feel the draw of some old destinations. Towards the end of 2014 I’m going to have the chance to get back to some old destinations. I’m looking forward to seeing what has changed, what’s still there, and how I can dig deeper into these familiar places.
What are your 2014 New Year’s Resolutions?